Windows 10 New Versions To Support Eye Control, Microsoft Confirms
Windows 10 will allow disabled individuals to use computers, thanks to its new Eye Control feature. Microsoft reportedly planned to include Tobii 4C in its upcoming new versions of the operating system. It retails at around $203, and the sophisticated hardware will allow people with limited movement to use a computer on their own. Check out AnandTech to know more about this technology.
New Windows 10 Update To Help The Disabled
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella this past week announced plans to add support for eye tracking to one of the upcoming Windows 10 versions, in a bid to enable disabled people to use computers. The head of Microsoft did not say when the company intended to do this, but only said that the tech would require a compatible eye tracker, such as the Tobii 4C, which is currently supported by some games and may be used to control a Windows-based PC when appropriate software is installed.
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The project started in 2014 and aim to help amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or ALS patients use a computer despite their body’s limitations. This Windows 10 feature will be able to help not only people with ALS but other paralyzed people as well.
Windows 10 Eye Control Inspired By An Email
A determined team and an exciting email were all it took to get Eye Control off the ground. In 2014, former NFL player Steve Gleason challenged Microsoft employees through an email to develop a system that will help him with his ALS disease.
The team did not disappoint, pointing out that Steve’s request embodied the company’s mission of empowering people in the planet. They worked on a project called Eye Gaze Wheelchair, which caught the eye of Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella. It won the company’s hackathon challenge that year.
Three years later, that project inspired the CEO to start developing the upcoming Windows 10 update with Eye Control.
Changing People’s Lives With Technology
When Steve Gleason found out about his debilitating disease, he knew he needed technology to make life a little bit easier for him. His challenge to Microsoft not only helped him, the tech giant now has plans to expand its help to more people like Gleason.
Find out why the winning Microsoft Hackathon team decided to develop Windows 10 Eye Control here.
The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge became viral in 2014. While a lot of individuals participated in the challenge in genuine support of those afflicted with the disease, a large percentage only joined for the likes and shares. A couple of years, later, the craze became a distant memory. It’s a good thing the Hackathon winning team kept on remembering the goal and the needs of ALS patients.
What do you think of this upcoming Windows 10 version? Share your thoughts in the comment section below!
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